Method of identifying objects based on region of interest and electronic device supporting the same

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes a display, and a processor functionally connected with the display. The processor is configured to output content including one or more objects through the display, receive user input for specifying at least one point in the entire region of the content, determine a portion of an entire region with respect to the at least one point as a search region, obtain a saliency map associated with the content based on the search region, and determine a region of interest of the user based on the saliency map. Alternatively, the processor is configured to obtain an index map associated with the content by dividing the entire region of the content into similar regions according to a preset criterion and determine the region of interest of the user by overlapping the saliency map and the index map. It is possible to provide other embodiments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0106133 filed on Aug. 22, 2017in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present invention relates to a method of identifying objects basedon a region of interest (ROI) and an electronic device supporting themethod.

2. Description of Related Art

Advances in information, communication, and semiconductor technologieshave enabled popularization of electronic devices. Electronic deviceshave evolved into convergence devices supporting heterogeneous functionshaving originated from distinct fields. For example, such an electronicdevice may provide a function for identifying an object in the obtainedcontent.

For object identification in a video, the electronic device may use atechnique of comparing successive frames of the video and separating themoving object region from the background region.

For object identification in a still image, after the electronic deviceseparates similar regions based on the color, the user may have toselect a region corresponding to the object or draw a closed curve onthe outline of the object.

Recently, a technique of converting the most conspicuous region in astill image into a saliency map has been used for object identification.

However, such a user-input based technique of object identification maybe highly affected by the sophistication of the user input and may alsorequire excessive interaction with the user. In the case of a saliencymap technique, the object desired by the user may be not correctlyidentified, and the outline information of the object may be notaccurately reflected.

SUMMARY

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems.Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an objectidentification method based on the region of interest and an electronicdevice supporting the method.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an electronicdevice is provided. The electronic device may include: a display; and aprocessor functionally connected with the display. The processor may beconfigured to: output content including one or more objects through thedisplay; receive user input for specifying at least one point in theentire region of the content; determine a portion of the entire regionwith respect to the at least one point as a search region; obtain asaliency map associated with the content based on the search region; anddetermine the region of interest of the user based on the saliency map.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method for object identification based on the region ofinterest. The method may include: outputting content including one ormore objects through a display; receiving user input for specifying atleast one point in the entire region of the content; determining aportion of the entire region with respect to the at least one point as asearch region; obtaining a saliency map associated with the contentbased on the search region; and determining the region of interest ofthe user based on the saliency map.

In a feature of the present invention, the electronic device canaccurately identify an object desired by the user through a simple userinput, and can provide a user interface to intuitively confirm theregion of interest of the user.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may beadvantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases usedthroughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” aswell as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term“or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and“associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean toinclude, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be containedwithin, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with,cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to orwith, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller”means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least oneoperation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware orsoftware, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should benoted that the functionality associated with any particular controllermay be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.

Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented orsupported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed fromcomputer readable program code and embodied in a computer readablemedium. The terms “application” and “program” refer to one or morecomputer programs, software components, sets of instructions,procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, related data, or aportion thereof adapted for implementation in a suitable computerreadable program code. The phrase “computer readable program code”includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code,and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes anytype of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as readonly memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, acompact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type ofmemory. A “non-transitory” computer readable medium excludes wired,wireless, optical, or other communication links that transporttransitory electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computerreadable medium includes media where data can be permanently stored andmedia where data can be stored and later overwritten, such as arewritable optical disc or an erasable memory device.

Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout thispatent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understandthat in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, aswell as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and itsadvantages, reference is now made to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment including electronic devicescapable of configuring a region of interest for object identificationaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the processor of an electronicdevice according to various embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an object identification methodaccording to various embodiments.

FIGS. 4A to 4F illustrate an example of object identification.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a case where a region of interest isprovided before user input.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a region of interest provided inadvance.

FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate an example of object identification when userinput is received within the region of interest provided in advance.

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate an example of object identification when userinput is received outside the region of interest provided in advance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 8C, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present disclosure in this patentdocument are by way of illustration only and should not be construed inany way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the principles of the present disclosure may beimplemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in anetwork environment 100 according to various embodiments. Referring toFIG. 1, the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 maycommunicate with an electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g.,a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic device104 or a server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., a long-rangewireless communication network). According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 viathe server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101may include a processor 120, memory 130, an input device 150, a soundoutput device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensormodule 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180,a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module190, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module197. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device 160 orthe camera module 180) of the components may be omitted from theelectronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added inthe electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the componentsmay be implemented as single integrated circuitry. For example, thesensor module 176 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or anilluminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device160 (e.g., a display).

The processor 120 may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program140) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 101 coupled with theprocessor 120, and may perform various data processing or computation.According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing orcomputation, the processor 120 may load a command or data received fromanother component (e.g., the sensor module 176 or the communicationmodule 190) in volatile memory 132, process the command or the datastored in the volatile memory 132, and store resulting data innon-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g.,a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), asensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that isoperable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may beadapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or to bespecific to a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may beimplemented as separate from, or as part of the main processor 121.

The auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of functions orstates related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160,the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) among thecomponents of the electronic device 101, instead of the main processor121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state,or together with the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 isin an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to anembodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processoror a communication processor) may be implemented as part of anothercomponent (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190)functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component(e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176) of the electronicdevice 101. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g.,the program 140) and input data or output data for a command relatedthereto. The memory 130 may include the volatile memory 132 or thenon-volatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software, and mayinclude, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, oran application 146.

The input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used by othercomponent (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101, fromthe outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The inputdevice 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or akeyboard.

The sound output device 155 may output sound signals to the outside ofthe electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, forexample, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for generalpurposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receivermay be used for an incoming calls. According to an embodiment, thereceiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside(e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The display device 160 mayinclude, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector andcontrol circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display,hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the displaydevice 160 may include touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, orsensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure theintensity of force incurred by the touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electrical signal andvice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtainthe sound via the input device 150, or output the sound via the soundoutput device 155 or a headphone of an external electronic device (e.g.,an electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly coupledwith the electronic device 101.

The sensor module 176 may detect an operational state (e.g., power ortemperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state(e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 101, andthen generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to thedetected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 mayinclude, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmosphericpressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gripsensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, abiometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or anilluminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols to be usedfor the electronic device 101 to be coupled with the external electronicdevice (e.g., the electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) orwirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include,for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universalserial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or anaudio interface.

A connecting terminal 178 may include a connector via which theelectronic device 101 may be physically connected with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to anembodiment, the connecting terminal 178 may include, for example, a HDMIconnector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector(e.g., a headphone connector),

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanicalstimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus whichmay be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinestheticsensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 mayinclude, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electricstimulator.

The camera module 180 may capture a still image or moving images.According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one ormore lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to theelectronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the power managementmodule 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a powermanagement integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 mayinclude, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, asecondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g.,wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel betweenthe electronic device 101 and the external electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108) andperforming communication via the established communication channel. Thecommunication module 190 may include one or more communicationprocessors that are operable independently from the processor 120 (e.g.,the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g., wired)communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment,the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wirelesscommunication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a localarea network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication(PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules maycommunicate with the external electronic device via the first network198 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as BLUETOOTH,wireless-fidelity (WI-FI) direct, or infrared data association (IRDA))or the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network,such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g.,LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communicationmodules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip),or may be implemented as multi components (e.g., multi chips) separatefrom each other. The wireless communication module 192 may identify andauthenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network, suchas the first network 198 or the second network 199, using subscriberinformation (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI))stored in the subscriber identification module 196.

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to orfrom the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the antenna module197 may include one or more antennas, and, therefrom, at least oneantenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in the communicationnetwork, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, may beselected, for example, by the communication module 190 (e.g., thewireless communication module 192). The signal or the power may then betransmitted or received between the communication module 190 and theexternal electronic device via the selected at least one antenna.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutuallyand communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via aninter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purposeinput and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobileindustry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 101 and the external electronicdevice 104 via the server 108 coupled with the second network 199. Eachof the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be a device of a same type as,or a different type, from the electronic device 101. According to anembodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronicdevice 101 may be executed at one or more of the external electronicdevices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response toa request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101,instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service,may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform atleast part of the function or the service. The one or more externalelectronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least partof the function or the service requested, or an additional function oran additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome ofthe performing to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of theoutcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, acloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computingtechnology may be used, for example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the processor of an electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments.

In various embodiments, the processor 120 may include a search regiondeterminer 210, a main region detector 220, a region divider 230, and aregion-of-interest determiner 240. In FIG. 2, the search regiondeterminer 210, the main region detector 220, the region divider 230,and the region-of-interest determiner 240 are shown as being included ina single processor. However, the search region determiner 210, the mainregion detector 220, the region divider 230, and the region-of-interestdeterminer 240 may belong to separate processors.

In one embodiment, the search region determiner 210 may determine aportion of the entire region of the content as a search region withrespect to at least one point specified by the user. Specifically, thesearch region determiner 210 can examine relative variations betweenblocks composed of one or more pixels constituting the content andobtain an entropy map related to the content based on the relativevariations. When the entropy map is obtained, the search regiondeterminer 210 can divide the entropy map according to a specificcriterion. The search region determiner 210 may identify at least oneregion to which the point specified by the user belongs among thedivided regions and calculate the statistical characteristics of theidentified region. The search region determiner 210 may identifyadditional regions having statistical characteristics similar to thoseof the identified region. Then, the search region determiner 210 maydetermine a search region that is composed of the at least one region towhich the point specified by the user belongs and the additional regionshaving similar statistical characteristics.

In one embodiment, the main region detector 220 can obtain a saliencymap related to the content on the basis of the search region. Forexample, the main region detector 220 can obtain a saliency mapreflecting main regions by applying a machine-learning algorithm, adeep-learning algorithm, or an image processing algorithm to the searchregion. As another example, the main region detector 220 can obtain aweighted saliency map by assigning different weights to at least aportion of the saliency map based on the point specified by the user.

In one embodiment, the region divider 230 may obtain an index maprelated to the content by dividing the entire region of the content intosimilar regions based on a preset criterion. For example, the regiondivider 230 may apply a super-pixel algorithm to the content to dividethe content into regions having the same or similar color. Then, theregion divider 230 may obtain an index map related to the content byassigning an index to each of the divided regions.

In one embodiment, the region-of-interest determiner 240 may determinethe region of interest (ROI) of the user on the basis of the saliencymap obtained from the search region determined based on the entropy map,and the index map obtained based on the entire region of the content.The region-of-interest determiner 240 can identify an object byoverlapping, e.g., the saliency map (or weighted saliency map) and theindex map. For example, it is possible to identify the objectcorresponding to the point specified by the user by examining the sizeof the main region in the saliency map in consideration of the index mapassociated with the divided similar regions. Thereafter, theregion-of-interest determiner 240 may determine the region of interestincluding the identified object, and draw an outline of the determinedregion of interest and output it through the display.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may include adisplay (e.g., display device 160 in FIG. 1) and a processor (e.g.,processor 120 in FIG. 1) functionally connected with the display. Theprocessor may be configured to: output content including one or moreobjects through the display; receive user input for specifying at leastone point in the entire region of the content; determine a portion ofthe entire region as a search region with respect to the at least onepoint; obtain a saliency map related to the content based on the searchregion; and determine a region of interest of the user based on thesaliency map.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to obtain an index map related to the content by dividing theentire region of the content into similar regions based on presetcriteria. The region of interest of the user may be determined based onthe saliency map and the index map.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to examine relative variations between blocks composed of oneor more pixels constituting the content, and obtain an entropy maprelated to the content based on the relative variations.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to: divide the entropy map according to a specific criterion;identify at least one region to which the point specified by the userbelongs; calculate the statistical characteristics of the identifiedregion; find additional regions having statistical characteristicssimilar to those of the identified region; and determine the searchregion as including the identified region and the found additionalregions.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to generate a weighting matrix based on the point specifiedby the user, and obtain a weighted saliency map by applying theweighting matrix to at least a portion of the saliency map.

In one embodiment, in the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101in FIG. 1), the preset criteria may include at least one of color,outline, and contrast.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to identify an object according to the point specified by theuser by overlapping main regions in the saliency map and similar regionsin the index map.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to: provide a main region of the content as a preset regionof interest; and determine, if a user input is received within thepreset region of interest, the region other than the preset region ofinterest as a non-search region.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may beconfigured to: provide a main region of the content as a preset ofinterest; and determine, if a user input is not received within thepreset region of interest, at least a portion of the content includingthe preset region of interest as a non-search region.

In one embodiment, the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 inFIG. 1) may receive the user input by utilizing at least one of touchinput using a portion of the human body (e.g., the user's body) or apen, hovering input using a portion of the human body or a pen, andnon-contact recognition.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an object identification method according tovarious embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 3, at operation 310, the processor (e.g.,processor 120 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device (e.g., electronicdevice 101 in FIG. 1) may output content including one or more objectsthrough the display (e.g., display device 160 in FIG. 1).

In various embodiments, the content may include various digitalinformation such as images and videos. The content may include varioustypes of information that the electronic device can output on thescreen, such as images like pictures or photographs, preview imagescaptured by the camera, and text data. An object can refer to anythingdistinct from the background in the content.

At operation 320, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may receiveuser input for specifying at least one point in the entire region of thecontent.

In various embodiments, the user input may include various ways ofspecifying at least one point in the content. The user input may be aninput for specifying at least one point using an input means. When thedisplay includes a touch panel, the user input may be a touch input forspecifying at least one point using a portion of the human body (e.g.,finger) or a pen. At least one point can be specified via a hoveringinput using a pen or a portion of the body (e.g., finger). The processorof the electronic device may specify at least one point using at leastone of the non-contact recognition functions. For example, the processorcan specify at least one point by recognizing the face, eye, iris, handmotion, or voice of the user through a camera or a microphone.

In various embodiments, the user may specify a plurality of points. Inthe description, it is assumed that the user specifies one point. Whenthe user specifies a plurality of points, the processor can identify aplurality of objects corresponding respectively to the plurality ofpoints specified by the user.

At operation 330, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may determinea portion of the entire region as a search region with respect to the atleast one point.

In the case where the content includes a plurality of objects, it may beunnecessary to identify an object other than the object selected by theuser. If the entire region of the content is set as the search region,an object not selected by the user may be identified. As a result, theoutline information of the objects may be not accurately reflected. Toidentify an object corresponding to at least one point specified by theuser, the processor may limit the area in which the object is to besearched to a portion of the entire region of the content.

In various embodiments, the processor can predict the region in whichthe object selected by the user can exist among the entire region of thecontent to determine the search region. Specifically, the processor(e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1 or search region determiner 210 in FIG.2) may examine relative variations between adjacent pixels or adjacentblocks on the basis of the information contained in pixels constitutingthe content or blocks including multiple pixels, and obtain an entropymap related to the content based on the relative variations between thepixels or blocks. In one embodiment, the processor may obtain an entropymap by applying the relative variations between the adjacent pixels orblocks in sequence to the content with respect to the pixel or blockcorresponding to the point specified by the user.

Upon obtaining the entropy map, the processor can divide the entropy mapaccording to a given criterion. For example, the processor may dividethe entropy map in various units such as 5×5 or 3×3 units. The processormay identify at least one region to which the point specified by theuser belongs among the divided regions and calculate the statisticalcharacteristics of the identified region. Then, the processor may findadditional regions having statistical characteristics similar to thoseof the identified region.

The processor may determine the search region as including the region towhich the point specified by the user belongs and the additional regionshaving statistical characteristics similar to those thereof. Here, thesearch region may be formed in one shape including at least one regionto which the point specified by the user belongs. For example, if thereis a region that exists separately among the regions having similarstatistical characteristics, that region can be excluded from the searchregion.

Upon determining the search region, at operation 340, the processor(e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device (e.g.,electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may obtain a saliency map related tothe content based on the search region.

In various embodiments, the processor may obtain a saliency mapindicating a main region within the search region. The processor (e.g.,processor 120 in FIG. 1 or main region detector 220 in FIG. 2) canobtain a saliency map reflecting main regions by applying, for example,a machine-learning algorithm, a deep-learning algorithm, or an imageprocessing algorithm to the search region. The main region may refer toa region occupied by the objects in the search region. For example, themain region can be identified by assigning a saliency value to eachpixel and aggregating those pixels having a saliency value equal to orgreater than a preset threshold.

In various embodiments, the processor may assign different weights to aportion of the saliency map based on the point specified by the user.For example, the processor may generate a weighting matrix that assignsa high weight to the point specified by the user and assigns a lowweight to a point far from the point specified by the user. Theprocessor may generate a weighted saliency map by applying the weightingmatrix to a portion of the saliency map. The weighted feature map maycause the object corresponding to the point specified by the user to bereflected in the main region.

At operation 350, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may determinewhether to obtain an index map associated with the content.

In various embodiments, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1, orregion divider 230 in FIG. 2) may divide the entire region of thecontent into similar regions based on a preset criterion. The processormay analyze the content in terms of color, outline, or contrast todivide the content into similar regions. The processor may apply asuper-pixel algorithm to the content to divide the content into regionshaving the same or similar color. Then, the processor may obtain anindex map related to the content by assigning an index to each of thedivided regions.

In one embodiment, the operation of obtaining the index map can beomitted. For example, if an object in the content is clearlydistinguished from the background, the object can be identified withoutuse of the index map. As another example, in the case of a preview imageof a camera, an object can be identified without obtaining an index mapin consideration of processing speed and current consumption. Hence, theprocessor may determine whether to obtain an index map associated withthe content, and may perform operation 360 or operation 370 based on thedetermination result.

In the above description, operation 350 is described as being executedafter operation 330. However, the electronic device may simultaneouslyexecute operation 330 and operation 350 using a single processor or twoor more processors.

Upon determining not to obtain an index map associated with the content,at operation 360, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may determinethe region of interest of the user on the basis of the saliency map. Forexample, the region corresponding to the main region in the saliency mapcan be determined as the region of interest of the user.

Upon determining to obtain an index map associated with the content, atoperation 370, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of theelectronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may determinethe region of interest of the user on the basis of the saliency map andthe index map.

In various embodiments, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1, orregion-of-interest determiner 240 in FIG. 2) can identify an object byoverlapping the saliency map (or weighted saliency map) and the indexmap. For example, the processor can determine whether a similar regionin the index map overlapping the main region in the saliency mapconstitutes the whole or a part of an object. If there are multiplesimilar regions constituting a part of the object, such similar regionscan be identified in aggregate as one object. The saliency map may failto accurately reflect the outline information of the object, and theindex map may fail to accurately reflect the shape and positioninformation of the object. Hence, it is possible to relativelyaccurately identify the object selected by the user by utilizing thesaliency map and the index map in a complementary way.

In various embodiments, after identifying the object, the processor maydetermine the region of interest of the user including the identifiedobject. For example, as an object can have an arbitrary shape, theprocessor can determine the region of interest including the identifiedobject. The processor may display the region of interest on the displayso that the user can intuitively recognize the region of interest. Forexample, the processor may draw an outline of the region of interest andoutput it through the display.

FIGS. 4A to 4F illustrate an example of object identification.

With reference to FIG. 4A, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) mayoutput content 401 including one or more objects through the display(e.g., display device 160 in FIG. 1). For example, the content 401 mayinclude a first object 411, a second object 412, a third object 413, afourth object 414, and a fifth object 415. To select the first object411, the user may touch or hover over one point 421 of the regionforming the first object 411 with the pen 420 or a finger.Alternatively, the user may specify one point 421 of the region formingthe first object 411 using one of non-contact recognition functions.

With reference to FIG. 4B, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) maydetermine a portion of the entire region of the content 401 as a searchregion with respect to the point 421 specified by the user. For example,the electronic device may obtain an entropy map associated with thecontent 401 and divide the entropy map according to a certain criterion.FIG. 4B shows an example in which the entropy map is divided into 5×5units, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The electronicdevice may identify at least one region 430 to which the point specifiedby the user belongs among the divided regions and calculate thestatistical characteristics of the identified region 430. The electronicdevice may find additional regions 441 having statisticalcharacteristics similar to those of the identified region 430. Then, theelectronic device may determine the search region as including theregion 430 to which the point specified by the user belongs and theadditional regions 441 having statistical characteristics similar tothose thereof. In FIG. 4B, the divided entropy map is displayed on thescreen for ease of description, but the entropy map may be not displayedon the screen.

With reference to FIG. 4C, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) mayobtain a saliency map related to the content 401 based on the searchregion including additional regions 441. For example, as shown in part(a) of FIG. 4C, the electronic device may obtain a saliency mapreflecting the main region 450 based on the determined search region.Alternatively, the electronic device may generate a weighted saliencymap by applying a weighting matrix to a portion of the saliency map.Thereafter, as shown in part (b) of FIG. 4C, the processor may combinethe non-search region 442 excluded from the search region with thesaliency map obtained in part (c) of FIG. 4C to obtain a saliency maphaving the same size as the entire content. In FIG. 4C, the saliency mapis displayed on the screen for ease of description, but the saliency mapmay be not displayed on the screen.

With reference to FIG. 4D, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) maydivide the content into similar regions based on a preset criterion toobtain an index map associated with the content. For example, theelectronic device may analyze the entire region of the content in termsof color, outline, or contrast and obtain an index map associated withthe content by dividing the content into similar regions. In FIG. 4D,the index map is displayed on the screen for ease of description, butthe index map may be not displayed on the screen.

With reference to FIG. 4E, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) mayidentify the object on the basis of the saliency map and the index map.For example, the processor can identify the object by overlapping thesaliency map and the index map. Specifically, the processor may obtainoutline information from the index map and obtain shape and positioninformation from the saliency map, and may identify the first object 411corresponding to the point 421 specified by the user.

With reference to FIG. 4F, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) maydetermine and display the ROI 460 of the user based on the identifiedfirst object 411. The ROI 460 may be represented in various shapesincluding the identified object. FIG. 4F shows a ROI of the user in theform of a box, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a case where a region of interest isprovided before user input.

Prior to operation 320 in FIG. 3, the processor may provide the mainregion of the content as a region of interest. For example, theelectronic device may obtain the saliency map associated with the entirecontent and provide the region of interest including the main region ofthe entire content before receiving user input. As another example, whenthe region of interest has been determined based on the previous userinput, the previously determined region of interest may be providedagain. In such a case, operation 320 of FIG. 3 may further include thefollowing operations.

With reference to FIG. 5, at operation 510, the processor (e.g.,processor 120 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device (e.g., electronicdevice 101 in FIG. 1) may determine whether a preset region of interestis present. Upon determining that a preset region of interest ispresent, at operation 520, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) maydetermine whether user input is received within the preset region ofinterest. For example, the user may wish to identify at least one objectin the preset region of interest. In some cases, the user may wish toidentify an object located outside the preset region of interest. Todetermine the search region in consideration of the user's intention,the processor can identify the location where user input is received.

Upon determining that user input is received within the preset region ofinterest, at operation 530, the processor (e.g., processor 120 inFIG. 1) of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1)may determine the region other than the preset region of interest as anon-search region. That is, assuming that the object that the userwishes to identify is within the preset region of interest, theprocessor may not search the region other than the preset region ofinterest for an object.

In various embodiments, the processor may determine a specific regionincluded in the preset region of interest as the search region. Forexample, the processor may obtain a saliency map associated with thecontent and reflecting the main region in the preset region of interest.

In one embodiment, the processor may determine a portion of the presetregion of interest as a search region based on at least one pointspecified by user input. For example, the processor may obtain anentropy map within the preset region of interest and determine a searchregion based on the entropy map.

Upon determining that user input is not received within the presetregion of interest, at operation 540, the processor (e.g., processor 120in FIG. 1) of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 inFIG. 1) may determine at least a portion of the content including thepreset region of interest as a non-search region. That is, assuming thatthe object that the user wishes to identify is located outside thepreset region of interest, the processor may not search the presetregion of interest for an object.

In various embodiments, the non-search region may include a part of theregion other than the preset region of interest. For example, if userinput is received at some point on the right-hand side of the presetregion of interest, the processor may assume that there is no object tobe specified by the user on the left-hand side of the preset region ofinterest and determine both the preset region of interest and theleft-hand side thereof as a non-search region. Alternatively, theprocessor may determine all regions except for the right-hand side ofthe preset region of interest as a non-search region.

When the non-search region is determined, the electronic device candetermine the region other than the non-search region as a searchregion, and obtain a saliency map associated with the content.Alternatively, the electronic device may obtain an entropy map in aregion other than the non-search region, and determine the search regionbased on the entropy map.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a ROI provided in advance.

The processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device(e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may output content 601 includingone or more objects through the display (e.g., display device 160 inFIG. 1). For example, the content 601 may include a first object 611, asecond object 612, a third object 613, a fourth object 614, and a fifthobject 615.

In various embodiments, the processor may obtain the saliency mapassociated with the entire region of the content 601 and provide the ROI620 including the main region of the entire region of the content 601before receiving user input. Since there is no point specified by theuser in the saliency map associated with the entire region of thecontent 601, the processor cannot obtain a weighting matrix. Inaddition, since the saliency map associated with the entire region ofthe content 601 does not accurately reflect the outline information, aplurality of separate objects (e.g., first object 611, second object612, and third object 613) can be identified as one object.

FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate an example of object identification when userinput is received within the ROI provided in advance.

With reference to FIG. 7A, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) mayoutput content 701 including one or more objects through the display(e.g., display device 160 in FIG. 1). For example, the content 701 mayinclude a first object 711, a second object 712, a third object 713, afourth object 714, and a fifth object 715. The processor may obtain thesaliency map associated with the entire region of the content 701 andprovide a preset ROI 730 including the main region of the entire regionof the content 701 before receiving user input.

Thereafter, the processor may receive user input for specifying at leastone point and may determine whether the user input is received withinthe preset ROI 730. For example, to select the first object 711contained in the preset ROI 730, the user may touch or hover over onepoint 721 of the region forming the first object 711 with the pen 720 ora finger. Alternatively, the user may specify one point 721 of theregion forming the first object 711 using one of non-contact recognitionfunctions. At this time, the electronic device can determine that userinput has been received within the preset ROI.

With reference to FIG. 7B, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) maydetermine the region other than the preset ROI 730 as the non-searchregion 741. The processor may determine the preset ROI 730 as the searchregion 740. In one embodiment, the electronic device may determine aportion of the preset ROI 730 relative to at least one point specifiedby user input as a search region. For example, the electronic device mayobtain an entropy map associated with the content within the preset ROI730 and determine the search region based on the entropy map.

With reference to FIG. 7C, after determining the search region, theprocessor of the electronic device may obtain a saliency map associatedwith the content based on the search region, and determine a user's ROI750 including the first object 711 based on the saliency map. In oneembodiment, the processor may obtain an index map associated with thecontent by dividing the entire region of the content 701 into similarregions according to a preset criterion, and determine a user's ROI 750including the first object 711 based on the saliency map and the indexmap. The ROI 750 may be represented in various shapes including theidentified first object 711. FIG. 7C shows a ROI in the form of a box,but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate an example of object identification when userinput is received outside the ROI provided in advance.

With reference to FIG. 8A, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) mayoutput content 801 including one or more objects through the display(e.g., display device 160 in FIG. 1). For example, the content 801 mayinclude a first object 811, a second object 812, a third object 813, afourth object 814, and a fifth object 815. The processor may obtain thesaliency map associated with the entire region of the content 801 andprovide a preset ROI 830 including the main region of the entire regionof the content 801 before receiving user input.

Thereafter, the processor may receive user input for specifying at leastone point and may determine whether the user input is received withinthe preset region of interest 830. For example, to select the fourthobject 814 located outside the preset region of interest 830, the usermay touch or hover over one point 821 of the region forming the fourthobject 814 with the pen 820 or a finger. Alternatively, the user mayspecify one point 821 of the region forming the fourth object 814 usingone of non-contact recognition functions. At this time, the electronicdevice can determine that user input has been received outside thepreset region of interest 830.

With reference to FIG. 8B, the processor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1)of the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) maydetermine a region including the preset region of interest 830 as thenon-search region 841. For example, the processor may assume that theobject that the user wishes to specify is outside the preset region ofinterest 830 and may not search the preset region of interest 830 forthe object. In FIG. 8B, the electronic device assumes that user input isreceived at some point on the right-hand side of the preset region ofinterest 830, and determines all the region except for the right-handside of the preset region of interest 830 as the non-search region 841.Alternatively, the electronic device may determine the preset region ofinterest 830 as a non-search region, or may determine both the presetregion of interest 830 and the left-hand side thereof as a non-searchregion.

When the non-search region 841 is determined, the electronic device candetermine the region other than the non-search region 841 as a searchregion, and obtain a saliency map associated with the content 801.Alternatively, the electronic device may obtain an entropy map in aregion other than the non-search region, and determine the search regionbased on the entropy map.

With reference to FIG. 8C, after determining the search region, theprocessor (e.g., processor 120 in FIG. 1) of the electronic device(e.g., electronic device 101 in FIG. 1) may obtain a saliency mapassociated with the content based on the search region 840, anddetermine a user's region of interest 850 based on the saliency map. Inone embodiment, the processor may obtain an index map associated withthe content by dividing the entire region of the content into similarregions according to a preset criterion, and determine a user's regionof interest 850 based on the saliency map and the index map. The regionof interest 850 may be represented in various shapes including theidentified object. FIG. 8C shows a ROI in the form of a box, but thepresent invention is not limited thereto.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the methodfor object identification based on the region of interest may include:outputting content including one or more objects through a display(e.g., operation 310 in FIG. 3); receiving user input for specifying atleast one point in the entire region of the content (e.g., operation 320in FIG. 3); determining a portion of the entire region with respect tothe at least one point as a search region (e.g., operation 330 in FIG.3); obtaining a saliency map associated with the content based on thesearch region (e.g., operation 340 in FIG. 3); and determining a regionof interest of the user on the basis of the saliency map (e.g.,operation 360 in FIG. 3).

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include obtaining an index map associated withthe content by dividing the entire region of the content into similarregions according to a preset criterion (e.g., operation 350 in FIG. 3).The region of interest of the user may be determined on the basis of thesaliency map and the index map (e.g., operation 370 in FIG. 3).

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include examining relative variations betweenone or more pixels constituting the content or blocks including multiplepixels and obtaining an entropy map related to the content based on therelative variations.

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include: dividing the entropy map according to aspecific criterion; identifying at least one region to which the pointspecified by the user belongs; calculating the statisticalcharacteristics of the identified region; finding additional regionshaving statistical characteristics similar to those of the identifiedregion; and determining the search region as including the identifiedregion and the found additional regions.

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include: generating a weighting matrix based onthe point specified by the user; and obtaining a weighted saliency mapby applying the weighting matrix to at least a portion of the saliencymap.

In one embodiment, the preset criterion may be at least one of color,outline, and contrast.

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include identifying an object according to thepoint specified by the user by overlapping main regions in the saliencymap and similar regions in the index map.

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include: providing a main region of the contentas a preset region of interest (e.g., operation 510 in FIG. 5); anddetermining, if a user input is received within the preset region ofinterest, a region other than the preset region of interest as anon-search region (e.g., operation 530 in FIG. 5).

In one embodiment, the object identification method based on the regionof interest may further include: providing a main region of the contentas a preset region of interest (e.g., operation 510 in FIG. 5); anddetermining, if a user input is not received within the preset region ofinterest, at least a portion of the content including the preset regionof interest as a non-search region (e.g., operation 540 in FIG. 5).

In one embodiment, the user input for the object identification methodmay be received by utilizing at least one of touch input using a portionof the human body or a pen, hovering input using a portion of the humanbody or a pen, and non-contact recognition.

The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one ofvarious types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include,for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), acomputer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medicaldevice, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According toan embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limitedto those described above.

It should be appreciated that various embodiments of the presentdisclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit thetechnological features set forth herein to particular embodiments andinclude various changes, equivalents, or replacements for acorresponding embodiment. With regard to the description of thedrawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar orrelated elements. It is to be understood that a singular form of a nouncorresponding to an item may include one or more of the things, unlessthe relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, eachof such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one ofA or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least oneof A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the itemsenumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As usedherein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” may beused to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, anddoes not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance ororder). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a firstelement) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or“communicatively”, as “coupled with,” “coupled to,” “connected with,” or“connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), it means thatthe element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g.,wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented inhardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used withother terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or“circuitry”. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimumunit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. Forexample, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in aform of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software(e.g., the program 140) including one or more instructions that arestored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory138) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device 101).For example, a processor (e.g., the processor 120) of the machine (e.g.,the electronic device 101) may invoke at least one of the one or moreinstructions stored in the storage medium, and execute it, with orwithout using one or more other components under the control of theprocessor. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at leastone function according to the at least one instruction invoked. The oneor more instructions may include a code generated by a complier or acode executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage mediummay be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein,the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is atangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagneticwave), but this term does not differentiate between where data issemi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data istemporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments ofthe disclosure may be included and provided in a computer programproduct. The computer program product may be traded as a product betweena seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed inthe form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc readonly memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded)online via an application store (e.g., Play Store™), or between two userdevices (e.g., smart phones) directly. If distributed online, at leastpart of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or atleast temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such asmemory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application store,or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or aprogram) of the above-described components may include a single entityor multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more ofthe above-described components may be omitted, or one or more othercomponents may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality ofcomponents (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a singlecomponent. In such a case, according to various embodiments, theintegrated component may still perform one or more functions of each ofthe plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they areperformed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components beforethe integration. According to various embodiments, operations performedby the module, the program, or another component may be carried outsequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or moreof the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, orone or more other operations may be added.

Although the present disclosure has been described with variousembodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to oneskilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompasssuch changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a display; and aprocessor functionally connected with the display, wherein the processoris configured to: output content including one or more objects throughthe display; receive user input for specifying at least one point in anentire region of the content; determine a portion of the entire regionwith respect to the at least one point as a search region; obtain asaliency map associated with the content based on the search region;obtain an index map associated with the content by dividing the entireregion of the content into similar regions according to a presetcriterion; and determine a region of interest of a user based on thesaliency map and the index map.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the processor is further configured to: examine relativevariations between one or more pixels constituting the content or blocksincluding multiple pixels; and obtain an entropy map related to thecontent based on the relative variations.
 3. The electronic device ofclaim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: divide theentropy map according to a specific criterion; identify at least oneregion to which the point specified by the user belongs; calculatestatistical characteristics of the at least one identified region; findadditional regions including statistical characteristics similar tothose of the at least one identified region; and determine the searchregion as including the at least one identified region and the foundadditional regions.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: generate a weighting matrix based onthe point specified by the user; and obtain a weighted saliency map byapplying the weighting matrix to at least a portion of the saliency map.5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the preset criterion is atleast one of color, outline, or contrast.
 6. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to identify anobject according to the point specified by the user by overlapping mainregions in the saliency map and similar regions in the index map.
 7. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: provide a main region of the content as a preset regionof interest; and determine, when the user input is received within thepreset region of interest, a region other than the preset region ofinterest as a non-search region.
 8. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the processor is configured to: provide a main region of thecontent as a preset region of interest; and determine, when the userinput is received outside the preset region of interest, at least aportion of the content including the preset region of interest as anon-search region.
 9. A method for object identification based on aregion of interest, the method comprising: outputting content includingone or more objects through a display; receiving user input forspecifying at least one point in an entire region of the content;determining a portion of the entire region with respect to the at leastone point as a search region; obtaining a saliency map associated withthe content based on the search region; obtaining an index mapassociated with the content by dividing the entire region of the contentinto similar regions according to a preset criterion; and determining aregion of interest of a user based on the saliency map and the indexmap.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: examining relativevariations between one or more pixels constituting the content or blocksincluding multiple pixels; and obtaining an entropy map related to thecontent based on the relative variations.
 11. The method of claim 10,further comprising: dividing the entropy map according to a specificcriterion; identifying at least one region to which the point specifiedby the user belongs; calculating statistical characteristics of the atleast one identified region; finding additional regions includingstatistical characteristics similar to those of the at least oneidentified region; and determining the search region as including the atleast one identified region and the found additional regions.
 12. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising: generating a weighting matrixbased on the point specified by the user; and obtaining a weightedsaliency map by applying the weighting matrix to at least a portion ofthe saliency map.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the presetcriterion is at least one of color, outline, or contrast.
 14. The methodof claim 9, further comprising identifying an object according to thepoint specified by the user by overlapping main regions in the saliencymap and similar regions in the index map.
 15. The method of claim 9,further comprising: providing a main region of the content as a presetregion of interest; and determining, when the user input is receivedwithin the preset region of interest, a region other than the presetregion of interest as a non-search region.
 16. The method of claim 9,further comprising: providing a main region of the content as a presetregion of interest; and determining, when the user input is receivedoutside the preset region of interest, at least a portion of the contentincluding the preset region of interest as a non-search region.